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Dienstag, 9. August 2016

Cộng Cà Phê, Hanoi

Cà phê cốt dừa - frozen coconut coffee

If you are travelling in Hanoi or HCM City, there is no way that you could miss this coffee chain, called Cộng Càphê. They are basically everywhere, only beaten by Highlands in their omnipresence. And even though this is such a "mainstream" coffee shop, I'd still like to introduce it to you today.

The first time I went to a Cộng was with my cousin. I was immediately impressed by its "shabby chic" look. You know how much I love vintage cafés.
The Cafés are usually in all hues of khaki green and brown, highlighted by some red pillows with floral prints. Sporting militaristic décor, those cafés feel very edgy and being visited by vietnamese hipsters with their laptops and cell phones, it radiates an artsy vibe.

Cộng Cà Phê - Số 54 Mã Mây, Hanoi, Vietnam

The first Cộng was founded in Hanoi in 2007.
Hanoi is known to be more traditional, more conservative compared to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). So, in a way it makes sense that a café with black and white pictures from the Vietnam war time (or American war, as it is called in VN), plenty of propaganda posters and vintage furniture was created in Hanoi. But then again, I don't think there is any political message here. Entering these cafés it just seems like entering an old era in the past. Well, the music on the radio as well as the tourists and youngsters on their phone do remind you that you're still in the 21st century but you get the picture..

Sữa chua cà phê nếp cẩm

My first drink at Cộng was a Sữa chua cà phê nếp cẩm - it was heaven!
Sữa chua means yoghurt and nếp cẩm is basically fermented black sticky rice. It's one of my favorite desserts to begin with but adding the coffee makes it even better, which I never ever thought could be possible. You get a nice mix of bitterness from the coffee, of sweetness from the yoghurt and a hint of alcohol from the fermented sticky rice. Each of those three componets bring in a different texture as well, so believe me when I say this is the sh~

Cộng Cà Phê - Số 35A Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Hanoi, Vietnam

I also tried their coconut coffee, which I thought was good and on very hot days I usually go with a Sữa chua hoa quả (Yoghurt with fruits and crushed ice) - super refreshing!
Their juices are pretty good as well, or you can just sip on a beer while watching the city breath. If you just want a typical vietnamese coffee with condensed milk, then keep in mind that they don't serve the best ones (it's not bad either though). It's to be expected anyways in my opinion but I'm mentioning this since I've heard many complaints (from westerners mostly).
I haven't tried the food there yet so I can't say anything about it. But honestly, I would recommend you to eat street food anyways if you are in Hanoi, even if it's just a Bánh mì.

I spent quite an amount of time at Cộng since I had to do some paperworks for uni and work on my laptop. As I've mentioned before I loved the vibe here and even though it was noisy I didn't feel disturbed at all. The only complain I have would be their bad internet connection. Luckily I used my books most of the times but sometimes I had to check things up on the internet and it was either super slow or didn't connect at all.

Using that hat as a lamp was pretty cool I thought!

Even though I was in Hanoi for two months I couldn't visit all Cộngs. The ones I went to most frequently were the ones at Nguyễn Hữu Huân (second one I'm showing here) and the one at Xuân Diệu (third one, below).Nguyễn Hữu Huân - Old Quarter, my hood. No seriously, it has three floors, super nice staff and on its right side lies Xôi Yến, my favorite sticky rice place. About 5 minutes away lies a very good Bún riêu (crab noodle soup) place, the Harry Potter Café is just nearby, as well as Aroi. Nguyễn Hữu Huân Street is overall worth a visit as you can see.
The Cộng at Xuân Diệu has the most beautiful decor in my opinion. Each Cộng is decorated similarly but still differently but I just liked the one here the most. You also have a nice view to the West Lake and I have very fond memories of sitting here with my cousin, drinking our coffee and talking about how I want my very first tattoo to be like (he did it for me) or how my internship went or that I should spend a year or so in Hanoi the next time I come or just memories of bitten to death by mosquitoes..

Thank you! Yeah, there are so many different types of coffee in Vietnam. I mean, ever heard of egg coffee? It's sounds disgusting but it's so good actually! The coffee culture in Vietnam is really on a whole different level (compared to Germany)